Jewelry cleaner device



June 9, 1964 1. HUCH 3,135,987

JEWELRY CLEANER DEVICE Filed March 15, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Irene Hue/1 I N VEN TOR.

June 9, 1964 Filed March 15, 1963 l. HUCH JEWELRY CLEANER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofifice 3,135,987. Patented June 9, 1964 3,135,987 JEWELRY CLEANER DEVICE Irene Huch, 750 NE. 24th Way, F011: Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Mar. '15, 1963, Ser. No. 265,434 Ciaims. (Cl. 15-512) The present invention relates to a jewelry cleaning device which lends itself to desirable and practical use in ones home and which is such in construction and design that it functions to effectually clean and restore the desired surface finish of finger rings, earrings and smallsized cleanable articles which are, generally stated, classified as costume jewelry.

Briefly summarized the present invention is characterized by a box-like container which embodies a body portion and an applicable and removable cover portion. The two portions or sections are fitted telescopically together and the space provided therein defines and provides a receptacle which is charged with suitable cleaning media, usually a liquid cleaner or cleansing solution which is vigorously agitated and which is swish-swashed in a manner to act on the confined and immersed jewelry to achieve the desired washing or bathing step. In addition the article or articles of jewelry are subjected to surface brushing. To accomplish the brushing step the two axially aligned box sections are provided with opposed cooperating bristle brushes and the article which is being subjected to the action of the cleansing solution or agent is simultaneously subjected to the intended dirt-dislodging and refurbishing step.

Persons conversant with the art to which the invention relates are aware that it is not new, broadly speaking, to place articles of jewelry in the receptacle portion of a box or similar container and to shake the container in a manner to agitate the cleansing fluid and to thus achieve a partial cleansing result. It is also old in the art to utilize cooperating brushes. It follows that it is an objective of the instant invention to advance the art through the medium of a specially constructed and designed adaptation which, it is submitted, embodies cooperating features which enable the user to accomplish moresatisfactory and reliable cleaning results.

Another objective, generally speaking, is to improve upon and reduce the number of component parts which enter into the overall structural device thereby not only increasing the efliciency of the same as a whole, but rendering the same less costly to manufacture and otherwise simplifying factors of assembling, sale and repair.

More explicitly, in carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the bristle brushes are axially aligned and opposed so that the ring or rings may be sandwiched therebetween and subjected to the brushing step. To accomplish the preceding step with reliable efliciency the bottom brush, which is preferably circular in plan, is relatively stationary while the top brush is capable of being pressed into close proximity with the bottom brush so as to bring about a more effective brushing and cleaning action.

In connection with the brushes it is to be further pointed out that the bottom brush is carried by the bottom section of the container and the top brush by the applicable and removable top section, the latter section having a corrugated diaphragm which permits the finger pressing step to be accomplished, said top section being rotatable relative to the bottom section so that by holding the latter and oscillating the top or cover section the brushes are not only movable toward and from each other but shiftable in a rotatable manner.

A further improvement resides in mounting the individual brushes each on a circular base which is fitted in a cup-like member and which provides a structural adaptation which makes it possible to remove and replace an unduly worn brush.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on having the opposed relatively rotatable brushes centralized and providing a concentric channel around the same, said channel serving to contain the initial supply of the cleansing fluid and also being provided with circumferentially spaced posts or equivalent members for temporary anchorage of the finger rings so that the rings may be temporarily posi tioned between the coacting brushes. Further, the posts can, if desired, be made of longitudinally split component parts which function to permit the band portion of the ring to be checked therebetween and to, as a matter of fact, allow several or more rings to be placed atop one another and anchored on a single split post.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a jewelry holding, shaking and brushing device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective illustrating the top and bottom halves or sections of the container and illustrating how they are particularly made for intermittent and effective cooperation;

FIGURE 3 is a section on a slightly enlarged scale, compared to FIG. 1, which is taken on the plane of the section line 33 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section at right angles to FIG. 3 and which is taken on the plane of the section line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the depressible detachable and turnable cover section of the container; and

FIGURE 6 is likewise a plan view, which may be said to be a top plan view of the base or bottom section which appears at the right in the perspective view above identified as FIG. 2.

Referring now to the views of the drawings with the aid of reference numerals it will be seen that the aforementioned dual section box or container comprisesa base or bottom section 8 and a companion readily applicable and removable as well as relatively rotatablecover or top section 10. These sections may be made of moldable commercial plastics or equivalent colorful material possessed of the desired properties of high strength, rigidity and resiliency. The sections are telescopically and separably as well as rotatably joined together whereby the user may hold the sections in individual hands and subject the container as an entity to the desired shaking and cleaning fluid agitating step. The sections 8 and 10 can likewise be simultaneously rotated or rotated first and picked up for the shaking step thereafter whichever way the user chooses. In any event the annular depending endless rim portion 12 of the cover section is fitted down and over the upstanding annular lip 14 of the rim 15 of the bottom or base section 8. To better accomplish this assembling of the sections the rim of the bottom section is provided with an endless ledge or shoulder 16 on which the edge of rim 12 rests when it is supported and rotated. The central portion of the bottom 18, that is the portion denoted at 20 is elevated to project up and into the hollow portion of the two assembled sections and constitute a mound-like riser the top 22 of which is generally circular in plan. This part is in turn provided with an upstanding annulus 24 which in conjunction with 22 defines a cup-like receiver for the insertable and removable lower brush unit 26. This unit comprises a disk-like base 28 which fits into the receptacle part of the cup and which is provided with bunches or batches of nylon or equivalent bristles 30. There is a slot 32 at the center of the base 28 which is aligned with a segmental or substantially semi-spherical depending member 34 which defines a well 36 and which is aligned with the slot 32 so that when the band portion of the ring 38 is put in position it is held in the cutout central portion of the brush being retained in part by the slot 32 and also by the receiver. The receiver space may provide accommodation for anchorage and the principal retaining function may be attained by wedging the ring into the slot 32. This is an aspect of the concept which will be worked out by the manufacturer to accommodate rings of different sizes and shapes. The portion of the section 8 between the mound or riser and the rim 15 is outwardly and upwardly inclined and is annular in form as at 40 and it provides the bottom of a channel 42 in which the cleansing solution or liquid is placed (not shown). In this channel and at equidistant circumferentially spaced points ring anchoring posts 44 are provided. Each post is tapered upwardly and as a matter of fact is split or slitted lengthwise as at 46 to provide a pair of resilient prong-like fingers 48. The slot and fingers serve to permit a band portion of the ring to be anchored therebetween in a manner shown at 50 (phantom lines in FIG. 6).

The detachable rotatable cover section it has a disklike central top portion 52 but provided on its underneath side with a depending annular part which is referred to as a collar 54 for convenience of description and which in conjunction with the top 50 provides a cup-like receiver for the disk-like base 56 of the insertable and removable brush 58. Here again the brush is made up of bunches or batches of nylon or equivalent bristles 60. The two brush units 26 and 58 are opposed to each other and are in cuplike holders which are at the center of the hollow portion of the two-part container. If desired the upper ends of the bristles may be in a common plane whereas the central batches or bristles in the brush 58 may be concave so that when the depressible resilient returnable section 52 is pressed down (not detailed) the respective bristles will become together in a desired manner to subject the ring or other article of jewelry to a vigorous brushing and scrubbing action. Many and different types of cleansing liquids and preparations are already on the open market for jewelry cleaning, brushing and polishing purposes. Thus the user will select the desired cleansing agent and fill the channel-like portion 42, then assemble the rings or other jewelry by anchoring same on the post as shown at 50 in FIG. 6 or locating one ring at a time as denoted at 38 in FIG. 4. When the two sections 8 and 10 are assembled in operative relationship they may be rotated relative to each other and simultaneously subjected to a vigorous shaking action in order to agitate the cleaning fluid and to cause it to swish-swash and effectually bathe the article or articles being acted on at the time. This is one of those types of devices wherein different users will pursue different steps in achieving the desired end results. It is believed, however, that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the drawings will show that it is preferable to construct a device as illustrated and, what is also significant, to provide the cover section with a fluted or corrugated resilient annular diaphragm 62 which permits the section 52 and brush means to be depressed toward the brush means 26 and which when released allows the same to return to its normal position wherein the two brushes are separated to assume the general relationship depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It is further submitted that inasmuch as the invention is of the utmost in simplicity in construction the mode of use and features and advantages will be substantially selfevident. Consequently, a more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A small article containing, confining and cleaning device comprising a manually usable bodily movable container for agitatable cleaning media, means in said c0ntainer for temporarily positioning and anchoring the article which is to be acted on and cleaned, and complemental brushes mounted in the container, said brushes being opposed, spaced apart in a manner to allow the cleanable article to be interposed and sandwiched therebetween, and means for rotating said brushes relative to each other and also axially toward and from each other, said brushes each embodying bunches of bristles.

2. A jewelry holding, confining and cleaning device comprising, in combination, a box-like container including a bottom section provided with a bottom portion and an upstanding encompassing rim and further provided at its central portion with a brush, the outer marginal confines of said brush being spaced radially inward from the rim and cooperating therewith in defining a channel-like receiver for reception and retention of a cleaning agent, a cover section aligned with and opposed to said firstnamed section and having a depending rim removably and rotatably embracing a cooperating portion of the firstnamed rim whereby to permit the sections to be assembled to facilitate agitation of the cleaning agent and also to permit one section to be rotated relative to the other section when desired, and brush means on the interior side of the cover section opposed to the first-named brush means, the brush means in each instance embodying a disk-like member provided with bristles, said disk-like member being removably mounted in a cup-like holder provided therefor, said channel-like receiver being provided with circumferentially spaced ring-supporting and retaining posts.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and wherein each post is vertically slit to provide resilient retaining prongs.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 and wherein said cover section embodies an annular corrugated diaphragm, said diaphragm being resilient and serving to maintain the respective brushes in normally spaced-apart relationship.

5. A jewelry holder and cleaner comprising a base section having an elevated central portion provided with a cup-like holder for a brush, a cover section removably and rotatably mounted atop said base section and pro vided on the central portion of its underneath side with a cup-like holder for a second brush, two brushes, each brush having a disk-like backing member provided with brush-bristles, said backing members being fitted into their respective cup-like holders and having their bristles disposed in opposed relationship, said base section embodying a fluid containing channel encircling said first-named cup-like holder, and a plurality of ring anchoring posts fixedly mounted within the limits of said channel.

Meikle Feb. 16, 1932 Prater July 18, 1933 

1. A SMALL ARTICLE CONTAINING, CONFINING AND CLEANING DEVICE COMPRISING A MANUALLY USABLE BODILY MOVABLE CONTAINER FOR AGITATABLE CLEANING MEDIA, MEANS IN SAID CONTAINER FOR TEMPORARILY POSITIONING AND ANCHORING THE ARTICLE WHICH IS TO BE ACTED ON AND CLEANED, AND COMPLEMENTAL BRUSHES MOUNTED IN THE CONTAINER, SAID BRUSHES BEING OP- 